4 Vikings Film Locations From Season 5 You Can Actually Visit

The Vikings certainly got around. In real life as well as in the popular TV series. As season 5 (part 1) has just landed on Amazon Prime Video, I thought it was time for a round-up post of this season's best filming locations: From Ireland to England, the Nordic beauty of Iceland and all the way to mysterious Morocco – here are 4 Vikings Film Locations you can discover on your very own travels…

1. Ireland as Kattegat

Although the Vikings are kind of all over the place in season 5, they still return regularly to their homebase Kattegat in Norway. Most notably when Ragnar's son Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh) claims the title of king of Kattegat and starts a massive civil war against the current Queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick).

But Kattegat is in fact not in Norway. Ever since season 1, the fjord-style mountains of Wicklow County not far from Dublin in Ireland have been used as the main filming location for the fictitious Vikings settlement of Kattegat.

Lagertha from "Vikings" waiting at the shores of Kattegat. Photo: MGM Television

Film fans who would like to see Kattegat for themselves are in luck. You can book a guided half-day Film Locations Tour (including round transportation from Dublin), which also features the filming locations of Braveheart (1995) and P.S. I Love You (2007).

2. Iceland as Iceland

In season 5, boat-builder Viking Flóki (Gustaf Skarsgård) sets out completely on his own and after a long time at sea finally discovers Iceland!

At that time, Iceland was an uninhabited island with spectacular natural phenomena Flóki has never seen. For example the impressive Skógafoss waterfall on Iceland's South Coast. Thus, Flóki calls Iceland "the land of the gods".

The TV series character Flóki is loosely based on the real Viking Flóki Vilgerðarson, who according to the Icelandic sagas was the first Norseman to set foot on Iceland. And just like in the TV series, ravens have allegedly pointed him to the right direction for where to go on shore.

To learn more about this and other Viking sagas, check out the Saga Museum in Reykjavik – a really well done interactive time travel experience with lots of wax figures that bring the Vikings alive! An equally fun way to learn about the real Vikings is the 75 minute theatrical comedy show Icelandic Sagas – The Greatest Hits in Reykjavik.

Say cheese! Me, a viking and a polar bear at the Saga Museum in Reykjavik.

When he discovers Iceland in "Vikings", Flóki first lands on the black sand beaches near Vík.

To read even more about what to do on this fascinating island in the North Atlantic, check out my otherIceland travel posts.

3. Morocco as Sicily

In season 5, legendary Ragnar's eldest son Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) has become quite the explorer himself. So together with fellow Viking Halfdan (Jasper Pääkkönen), he is off to the exotic shores of the Mediterranean.

Their target destination is the island of Sicily – a mysterious, but promising island with a flourishing trade business. However, at that time Sicily (now Italian) is controlled by the mighty Arabs, which the Vikings either have to fight or form an alliance with. They decide to do the later and discover the deserts of North Africa together on camel back.

Both, the desert scenes and the scenes that take place in Sicily, were actually filmed in Morocco.

The fortress of the Byzantine commander in Sicily can be found in the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. The same fortress has previously been used as a filming location for several other films, including Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The Hollywood blockbustersLawrence of Arabia (1962),Gladiator (2000) and The Mummy (1999) were also filmed here.

Furthermore, this desert as well as nearby Marrakech were the main filming locations for Sex and the City 2 (2010), although it is said in the film that the girls travel to Abu Dhabi.

4. York as Jórvík

Of course, the Vikings also pay regular visits to their arch enemies in England in season 5.

The season starts with Ragnar's sons Ivar (Alex Høgh), Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) and Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) launching a massive battle to defend their English colony Jórvík (modern-day York in England) against the Anglo-Saxons.

This, too, is based on true historical events. First founded by the Romans around 95 AD, the city of York was raided and captured by the Vikings in 866 AD. The Vikings then called the city Jórvík (Old Norse) and made it a major river port and trading centre. The last ruler of an independent Jórvík, Eric Bloodaxe, was driven from the city in 954 AD by King Eadred.

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I am an ex London expat now living back in Germany. My second home is the cinema. If you don't find me there I am probably travelling the world in order to trace my favourite film settings while trying to stay on a budget. On filmfantravel.com, I combine these two passions to share my best tips about film-inspired budget travel. Join the journey on Twitter! @filmfantravel